Brake-shoe fastener.



W. G. PRICE.

BRAKE SHOE FASTBNER. APPLICATION FILED APR-.10, 1912.

Patented Nov. 12,1912.

WITNESSES.

mvam'oa,

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM GU'NN PRICE, OF NEWCASTLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

BRAKE-SHOE FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1912.

Application filed April 10, 1912. Serial No. 689,799.

wheels and is particularly concerned with improved means for securing a brake shoe to the brake head or holder. In brakes having shoes as usually constructed, the

shoe is secured to the head or holder by means of a long key which engages loops at the inner surface of the head, and the strap or apertured lug molded in the body of the shoe usually at the center. These pins are necessarily inserted from the top in order that they will not readily drop out. This makes it difficult for a repairer in the pit under the car to remove the pin, since he must draw the same out from the top and furthermore any of the brake gear or running gear which may be located adjacent the brake shoe renders thismovement still more difficult Again, the fact that this pin is usually simply slipped into place with no means of positively holding it renders it extremely liable to become loose and to be jarred free of the brake entirely and in either event this causes loc-seness of the parts and results in an unnecessary noise produced by the rattling of the shoe and key. The rattling of the shoe on its head causes rapid wear of the head which necessitates frequent renewals of the head. In fact, it is occasionally found that this pin is lost entirely and the shoe is held merely by its engagement between the lugs of the head and the tread of the wheel. This neces sarily results in more or less constant con-v that the fastening means yieldingly drawsthe brake shoe against the inner face of the head, thus maintaining the parts in tight re lation and preventing rattling.

It has the further advantage also that the fastening means can be operated from the lower end of the brake head thus facilitatmg removal and replacement by an operator in the pit beneath the car.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of'which a preferred embodiment .is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a brake shoe and head embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the device; Fig. 3 is a view of the inner face of the brake head showing the attaching member, with the brake shoe strap shown in. section and also showing in dotted outline. the wedge for withdrawing the attaching member and Fig. 4- is a crossv sectional view of the brake shoe adjacent its strap showing the end of the attaching member engaged therewith.

In the embodiment of my invention herein selected for illustration, 1 indicates the brake head which may be of usual standard construction having at each end supporting lugs 2 slotted as at 3, (Fig. 3) to fit over the usual lugs 4: (Fig. 2) of the brake shoe 4. This brake head is and may be of usual standard construction with its fastening lugs and saddle constructed to receive the ordinary brake pin now in use. The saddle lugs 5 apertured at 6 are adapted to fit over the strap 7 cast within the securing lugs 8 of the brake shoe in the usual manner. As described thus far all parts may be of usual or standard construction. The improved fastening means constituting my invention consists of a yielding or spring bolt 9 which is preferably are shaped longitudinally as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but may be substantially straight. The forward end of this bolt or securing member is beveled as at 10 to readily enter beneath the brake shoe strap 7 and is provided with a collar 11 forming one abutment for a coil spring 12, which, when the bolt or fastening member is in position within the head bears against the lug 2 at the lower end of the brake head. To facilitate the placing of the fastening member within the brake head the lugs 2 are cut away or beveled slightly as at 2, 2*, so that thecoil spring may be easily slipped past the lug as the bolt drops into place.

, The fastening member of bolt 9 is of less diameter than the openings 6 in the lugs 5 I of the brake head and consequently the beveled end of the bolt would ordinarily have some lost play in the opening 6 of the lug 5. To prevent this, and more especially for the purpose of insuring that the extremity of the beveled end of the bolt will always enter beneath the strap 7 of the brake shoe, I so arrange the spring onthe bolt as to hold the upper end of the bolt against the inner side of the lug 5 as shown in Fig. 2. This is accomplished by making the inner faces of the lugs 2 slightly inclined as at Fig. 2, whereby the end of the coil spring seated against said face will be so tilted as to put one side of the spring under greater compression than the other and thus causethe beveled end 10 of the bolt 9 to press against the inner side of the strap of the lug 5 of the brake head, which facilitates the entrance of the bolt beneath the strap 7. The portion of the bolt between the bevel 10 and the collar 11 is preferably made square to prevent rotation.

In using my improved fastening means, the spring bolt or securing member is placed within the lugs 5 and 2 of the brake head, as indicated with the spring 12 interposed between the collar 11 and the inclined face 2 of the lug 2. A thin wedge member 13 is then inserted in a slot 1% provided for that purpose in the outer end of the securing member which wedge rests against a shoulder 15 at the outer side of the lug 2 which keeps the bolt or securing member from moving out of place and against the shoe and holds the wedge in proper alinement to most effectively withdraw the beveled end of the securing member from beneath the strap 7 of the shoe. A few sharp blows on the wedge will effect this withdrawal, thus freeing the shoe from the brake head. Preferably the bolt or securing member is located in the lower end of the brake head to facilitate the manipulation from the pit beneath the car, but it is to'be understood that the parts are interchangeable so that the bolt may be located in the upper end if desired. By reason of the beveling of the strap engaging extremity 10 of the fastening member and by reason of the spring action thereof, the fastening member or bolt will have a constant tendency to draw the brake shoe snugly against the lugs or bearing surfaces of the brake head thereby insuring that the brake shoe will be at all times free from the wheel tread when the brake is not being applied and furthermore preventing all possibility of rattling between the shoe and head.

Inasmuch as the fastening member or bolt is positively held by the spring within the lugs 2 and 5, it is obvious that it can by no possibility drop out and furthermore the sprlng action insures that it will constantly engage the brake shoe strap.

To assemble the brake shoe and head the wedge 13 is driven into the slot sufliciently far to withdraw the bevel extremity of the fastening member or bolt to the dotted position in Fig. 2. The shoe and head are then fitted together and the wedge key 13 withdrawn whereby the bolt or fastening member will spring immediately beneath the strap 7 The bevel of the inner extremity of this bolt is so arranged that it will always engage the edge of the strap so that there will be a constant wedging action of this beveled surface under the stress of the spring to draw the brake shoe snugly against the head.

The seating of the spring against the inclined face 2 of the lug 2 as above described insures that the inner extremity of the bolt will always pass freely beneath the shoe strap 7, without abutting against the edge of the strap.

IVhile I have herein described a particular embodiment of my invention, it is understood that it may be altered in detail and arrangement of parts within the scope of the appended claims.

hat I claim is:

1. In a wheel brake, the combination with a brake head having securing lugs and a brake shoe having a securing strap, of a fastening member mounted 011 said head and means to cause said fastening member to engage within the strap of the brake shoe.

2. In a wheel brake the combination of a brake head and a brake shoe having a fastening member, of a spring belt or member mounted on said. head and having a beveled end adapted to engage beneath said fastening member and thereby to constantly draw the bearing faces of the head and shoe to gether.

3. In a wheel brake, the combination with a brake head having the usual pin receiving lugs and a brake shoe having the usual pin receiving strap, of a spring actuated wedge fastening member mounted on said head and guided by the pin receiving lugs thereof, and adapted to engage beneath said strap to constantly draw the head and shoe into engagement.

4. In a wheel brake, the combination of a brake head and a brake shoe having a securing member, of a spring bolt mounted upon and operating longitudinally of said head and adapted to engage beneath said securing member.

5. In a wheel brake, the combination of a brake head having the usual shoe securing members, and a brake shoe having the usual shoe securing strap, of a spring bolt carried within the securing member of one of said parts and adapted to engage beneath the securing member of the other part and to be yieldingly held in securing position.

6. In a wheel brake, the combination of a brake head having the usual shoe securing lugs, and a brake shoe having the usual shoe securing strap, of a spring bolt mounted upon said head and having a beveled end adapted to engage beneath said strap under pressure of its spring.

7. In a wheel brake, the combination of a brake head having the usual shoe securing lugs, and a brake shoe having the usual shoe securingstrap, of a spring bolt mounted upon said head and having a beveled end adapted to engage within said strap under pressure of its spring.

8. In a wheel brake, the combination with a brake head having shoe securing lugs, and a brake shoe having a securing strap, of a spring fastening member mounted within said lugs and having a beveled end adapted to engage beneath said strap, the parts being so constructed and arranged that the spring of said fastening member tends to draw the brake shoe into engagement with the head.

9. In a wheel brake, the combination with a brake-head having means for receiving and holding a brake shoe, and a brake shoe having a securing member by which it may be attached to said head, of a spring bolt or member operating within said securing means and constructed to constantly draw the shoe into engagement with the head.

10. In a wheel brake, the combination with a brake head, having shoe securing lugs, and a brake shoe having a securing strap adapted to cooperate with said lugs, of a yielding fastening member carried within said lugs and adapted to engage with in said strap, said fastening member being operable from the lower end of the brake.

11. In a wheel brake, the combination with a brake head, having shoe securing lugs, and a brake shoe having a securing strap adapted to cooperate with said lugs, a longitudinally spring actuated fastening member carried within said lugs and adapted to engage within said strap, said fastening member being operable from the end of the brake head.

12. In a wheel brake, the combination- 13. In a wheel brake, the combination with a brake head having the usual end lugs to receive a brake shoe and having the usual shoe securing lugs and a brake shoe having the usual securing strap adapted to cooperate with said securing lugs, of a spring actuated fastening member carried within said head and adapted to engage within said strap and having an end projecting beyond the end of said head, said end being slotted to receive a disengaging tool.

14. In a wheel brake, the combination with a brake head and a brake shoe, of a fastening member, means for actuating said member longitudinally of the head and shoe, 7

said fastenlng member having means todraw the head and shoe together under the action of said actuating means.

In, testimony whereof, I the said Wu LIAM GUNN PRICE have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM GUNN PRICE.

Witnesses:

ROBERT C. TOTTEN, JOHN F. WILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five oents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). 0. 

